Stamping element



July 10, 1934. r A. v. VAN CANTFORT 1,965,814

STAMPI NG ELEMENT Filed Dec; 17, 1931 Mono omuom 3260f 24M lNVEN-TOR flrZ/Qur 1/ 1 427 6227225571 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 10, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAMPING ELEMENT Application December 17, 1931, Serial No. 581,668

4 Claims. (01. 101-405) My invention relates to stamps and particularly to, indicia bearing stamps having indicating means for apprising a user of the correct positioning ofthe stamp relative to the Work.

' Metal stamps have been employed in the past constructed from an elongated piece of metal having an indicium or indicia provided on one end to be disposed adjacent toa work piece. When the opposite end of the member is struck, an outline of the indicium or indicia is cut in the face of the metal work piece, as is wellknown; Difficulty was experienced in handling the stamp to have the resulting indicia in'upright position on the work. It was necessary for the operator to take care when grasping the stamp that the indicia was disposed in a correct manner relative to the work. This requires the operator to scan the indicia very closely, after the stamp has been grasped in the hand. Since theindicia are in negative form relative to the resultant indicia on the work, considerable time was wasted each time the stamp Was picked'up to ascertain that the correct disposition of the indicia would result. r

I have overcome this difliculty when providing a stamp in accordance with my present invention, by having the correct position of the indicia indicated by the sense of touch when the stamp is grasped. The stamp is always grasped between 30 the thumb and the fingers of the hand, the fingers extending along the front side of the stamp, while the thumb is placed against the central portion of the rear side thereof. The front and the central part of the rear portions are provided with a 35 surface sensitive to touch so that when the fingers and thumb rest, respectively, on these surfaces the stamp will be positioned in a correct manner for producing an indicia which is in upright position. In any other position the thumb or fingers will rest upon a smooth surface and the operator will be apprised of the fact that the indicia is disposed in any other than a correct position. Knurling or other means may be employed for providing surfaces which are sensitive to touch and the resulting appearance to the stamp provides a mark by which the identity of the manufacturer of the stamp may be known.

The main objects of my invention are: to provide a stamp with means susceptible to touch which designates to the operator the correct positioning of the indicia of the stamp'relative to thework; to provide the front surface and the central portion of the rear surface with knurling or other projecting construction susceptible totouch which, when engaged in the proper manner with the fingers and thumb of an operator, apprises him of the fact that the stamp is correctly positioned; to provide projections on the two opposite surfaces of a stamp which are so positioned and relative in length that the appearance of the stamp apprises the operator of the manufacturer of the stamp; and in general to provide surfaces, on a stamp which are engaged by the thumb and fingers of the operator to apprise the operator of the positioning of the indicia thereof and which prevents the stamp from being knocked from the grasp of the operator when struck to have the indicia cut into the work piece.

Other objects and features of novelty of my invention will be either specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of my invention, to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of astamp embodying features of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the stamp illustrated in Fig. 1 in a position as grasped by an operator when the indicia of the stamp is disposed in the proper manner relative to a work piece,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a stamp bearing indicia of a different form from that illustrated in Fig. 1 and also embodying the features of my invention; and 1 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a stamp similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, bearing still further indicia and embodying features of my invention.

My invention comprises, in general, a stamp 5 which is of conventional form, that is to say, comprising: an enlongated body portion 6 which may be of any shape and which is herein illustrated as being square in section having a beveled end portion 7 which is to be struck by a hammer for forcing indicia 8 on the opposite end of the stamp into the work piece to be marked. The indicia 8 are a negative of the resulting indicia stamped on the work piece and, since the indicia may be of any form, it is necessary to mark the stampin some manner to disclose tothe operator the disposition of the indicia relative to the work so as to produce the replicia of the indicia on the work piece in an upright position. Usually a mark was made on one of the surfaces which was to be observed by the operator, but, since the indicia and mark, as well as the body portion of the stamp become full of grime, dirt and oil from use, difficulty has always been experienced in correctly positioning the stamp relative to the work.

As pointed out hereinabove, I overcome the difficulty of providing indicating means by employing the sense of touch of the operator for effecting the correct position of the stamp relative to the work piece. I provide a knurled surface 9 on the side of the body 6 of the stamp away from the operator substantially the length of the side, and a knurled surface 11 on the medial portion of the opposite side of the stamp, which is toward the operator. This positioning of roughened surfaces on opposite sides of the stamp produces several beneficial results, the first and primary result being the apprisal of the operator of the correct positioning of the indicia relative to the work which is accomplished through the sense of touch as illustrated in Fig. 2. It is to be noted that the fingers of the hand grasp the knurled surface 9 on the side of the body portion 6 corresponding to the top of the indicia and that the thumb will rest on the medially disposed knurled surface 11 on the opposite side of the body portion 6 corresponding to the bottom of the indicia. When the hand properly grasps the stamp, all of the fingers and the thumb will rest upon the knurled surfaces and the operator is thereby ap-. prised of the fact that the indicia will be correctly disposed relative to the work piece. When the fingers and the thumb, or any one thereof, rest upon a surface which is smooth, that is to say, not being provided with the knurling, the operator is apprised of the fact that the indicia is incorrectly disposed. The stamp is then turned in the fingers until the fingers and thumb rest upon knurled surfaces and the correct positioning of the indicia results.

A further advantage of the knurled surfaces is that effected by the firm grasp provided to the fingers relative to the stamp, which will prevent the stamp, when struck to drive the indicia into the work piece, from being knocked from the fingers of the operator. As a result, a correct facsimile of the indicia will be stamped in the work piece and the danger resulting from a flying stamp when knocked from the fingers, will be obviated.

A further advantage of providing the knurling, as specified hereinabove, is that of effecting a mark in the nature of a trade-mark by which the manufacturer of the stamp will be known.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have illustrated a numeral 8 disposed on the end of the body portion 6' of the stamp which is of a conventional form, stamps being furnished heretofore with numerals and letters of the alphabet, as is well known in the art.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated a further type of stamp, which is provided with a plurality of numerals or letters of the alphabet 12, to illustrate the fact that the novel feature of my invention may be applied to all types of stamps, as will be further apparent from the stamp illustrated in Fig. 4 which bears a particular type of indicia 13 in the nature of a mark which may be a trade-mark or a similar mark of distinction. It is very apparent, therefore, that I intend the particular features of my invention to be applied to all types of stamps, irrespective of the shape or form of indicia provided thereon.

While I have specified hereinabove that the surfaces 9 and 11 are formed by knurling, it is understood that my invention is not limited to this particular type of surface, as any type of surface, provided in any manner whatsoever, which affects the sense of touch of the operator may be employed to apprise him of the correct positioning of the stamp relative to the work. It is, accordingly, to be understood that the invention is in no way limited in the method of producing surfaces which affect the sense of touch of an operator, that it is not limited to knurling alone, and that any type of raised or serrated surfaces may be utilized. It is to be understood that recesses for each of the fingers and thumb or for all of the fingers may be provided in accordance with my invention.

While I have described and illustrated but a single embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stamp comprising a body portion which. is grasped. between the fingers and thumb of an operator, indicia on one end of said stamp, a roughened surface on the side of the stamp corresponding to the top of the indicia, and a roughened surface disposed on the medial portion of the side of the body portion corresponding to the bottom of the indicia, to be employed through a sense of touch for apprising an operator of the correct positioning of the indicia relative to a work element to be stamped.

2. A stamp comprising a body portion which is grasped between the fingers and thumb of an operator,.indicia on one end of the stamp, means on opposite sides of the stamp engageable by the fingers and thumb of an operator for apprising him, through the sense of touch of the fingers and thumb, of the correct positioning of the indicia relative to a work element to be stamped.

3. A stamp comprising a body portion having indicia onone end and an opposite end provided to be struck, to force the indicia into an element to be stamped, one side of the body portion being provided with a surface which is sensitive to touch and corresponding to the top of the indicia, and a similar surface disposed medially of the opposite side of the body portion for forming a finger and thumb hold, respectively, to an operator and for apprising the operator of the correct positioning of the indicia relative to the work.

4. A stamp comprising a body portion having an end portion to be struck and indicia provided on the opposite end portion, serrations provided on a side of the body portion corresponding to the top of the indicia, and similar serrations provided on the medial portion of the opposite side of the body portion for the purpose set forth.

ARTHUR V. VAN CANTFORT.

IOU 

